Eargo 8 vs. Yeasound RIC800

Eargo 8 is Eargo's latest flagship OTC hearing aid, featuring automatic sound environment adjustments, enhanced audio fidelity, and patented device-health monitoring. Designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, it emphasizes user convenience, extended battery life, and robust customer support.

It's streams to both both iPhone and Android, and scored in the top 5% of all OTC hearing aids tested by the independent HearAdvisor Lab.

Eargo 8 achieved a SoundScore of 2.85/5 and a SoundGrade of C in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #39 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

Yeasound RIC800 achieved a SoundScore of 4.46/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #1 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

Eargo 8 hearing aids appear to be well build with an IP68 rating, offering great protection against moisture and debris. The portable charging case is also a nice addition and should protect Eargo well when not in use.

Yeasound RIC800 have an ingress protection rating of IPX8. They appear well-built and approach the feel of a prescription hearing aid.

Eargo are extremely small making their 16 hour rechargeable battery life impressive. The case offers additional on-the-go power and I found the magnetic charging bays a nice easy to use addition.

RIC800 last up to 31 hours per charge and take around 3 hours to recharge. You can expect shorter battery life while streaming, although the batteries should still last all day.

Not yet rated by our experts

RIC800 offer wireless control and streaming with Bluetooth. While we could not test this on Android, functionality was fairly good on iOS with a few noted drawbacks.

I found Eargo's app to be packed full of useful features like the Sound Match hearing assessment and automatic noise reduction controls. You have plenty of options for personalization though adjustments are not always reliable as Eargo relies on phone speaker commands instead of Bluetooth.

RIC800 offer fairly good sound customization for a preset-based OTC hearing aid. I liked the addition of a 3-band equalizer and access to controls over noise reduction and microphone settings.

Comfort will vary by individuals depending on your tolerance to a deeper fitting hearing aid. Overall, I found them moderately comfortable through they can cause a tickling ear sensation due to their fit.

I found RIC800 very comfortable thanks to their small design and lightweight.

Eargo's instant-fit, completely-in-the-canal, style is unique discrete. If you are interested in a nearly-invisible OTC hearing aid you will love their design.

Yeasound RIC800 look like modern receiver-in-canal hearing aids and could easily be mistaken for prescription devices.

Eargo 8 has a value score of 2.0/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Yeasound RIC800 has a value score of 4.4/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Handling can be challenging with Eargo 8 due to the small size and reliance on tap controls. Furthermore, Eargo relies on acoustic indicators for wireless communication, which is less reliable than Bluetooth and caused me several problems.

RIC800 were easy to use and get in my ears, though you may need some practice if you have not worn receiver-in-canal devices before.

Eargo is one of the first direct to consumer hearing aids, but support is unfortunately limited to to their Client Care team and personal hearing professionals. While Eargo claims they work alongside audiologists, it is not the same as direct professional hearing care.

Yeasound offers remote assistance from their technical support team. To our knowledge, they are not offering audiologic support from licensed providers at this time.